U.S. OPEN

September 5, 1994

Bernd Karbacher

BERND KARBACHER: I think-- I mean, it started very early and it was just natural and then after a while you had different coaches and then you try to get your own style and I don't know, suddenly it was there. No special coach told me that. I mean,...

BERND KARBACHER: I don't feel like that. I mean, last year, I mean, Goellner had big success. Stich, Boris that is a different class, I think, they won Wimbledon and they are the top 10 players, and I think it is normal if you have two top 10 players that the other players are a little bit behind and I don't feel -- I am not jealous at all. I think it makes life a little bit easier for me.

BERND KARBACHER: Why? I mean, because as you see, Steffi Graf has a match, then all the press is going on there; watches the match, then you play your game, and if you are lucky, you don't even have to go to the press conference.

BERND KARBACHER: I am not surprised. When I had a look at the draw I saw -- I saw no name who is unbeatable for me. I mean, okay, even I was a little bit lucky that Ivanisevic lost first round, but I played against players that I knew that I have a good chance to beat them. Of course, you have to play well, and I am not very surprised because in Indianapolis I played very well also and I think it is a lot of work and I think I can make it even further.

BERND KARBACHER: Yeah, it was -- I mean, I think it is not very easy to play there, but you have to forget about it because the other player has the same disadvantage and, of course, it is not good for the tennis -- for the game and all, especially if the shadow is like half and half because then if you throw the ball up sometimes, the ball disappears and that is not very easy, but that is for both players, the same, and you have to take it. It is like the wind or anything else.

BERND KARBACHER: What did he say?

BERND KARBACHER: What is that?

BERND KARBACHER: I don't know. I mean, if he said that then -- I think I can answer the same thing because he is serving and that is it; he is playing service and forehand, nothing else. Maybe I played too good for him or he was disappointed, I don't know.

BERND KARBACHER: I mean, nobody is unbeatable, but I think it is a difference if you play Sampras or -- yeah, Sampras, Stich all these top players. I wanted to say Edberg, but -- I think the difference is not so big anymore. As you could see yesterday Bjorkman, he is also, let us say a no-name, but everybody knows him as a good player, but he won in straight sets and that means that if a young player or player from top 30, 40, 50 is playing well then he can beat almost every one and that is why -- I mean, the matches getting closer, getting tougher. Let us see who is winning from Todd Martin and Richey Reneberg. Reneberg played very well, so -- but I think if you make it to the quarters then you can beat almost every one.

BERND KARBACHER: I think it is not too much if you always have one or two days rest. For example, I played Monday and Thursday, so I had a long break there and then I played the next game on Saturday, so always one day rest is good enough. But for me I wasn't a little bit unlucky when I played against Rosset. I strained my muscle and thigh and I am very happy that I -- didn't have to play the next day because it was not very good. I got some treatment yesterday and now it was much better than the day before.

BERND KARBACHER: I don't think so. I mean, I played well in Indianapolis already. The whole summer I won a tournament. Maybe in the states I didn't play so many tournaments in the states and I wasn't very successful there. Maybe, but now I am going to make it more.

BERND KARBACHER: For me I think all the Grand Slams are very important. I think last year I played very well in the French Open. I think you have to take the most important tournaments by what -- where you have the best chances. I mean, I never played very good in Wimbledon and I am not very -- I am not familiar with grass so I think Wimbledon, you have to play there, but I don't expect a lot, so I think the most important for me are the French Open and U.S. Open and Australian Open, I played them twice and this year I was sick, so but French Open and U.S. Open I would say.

BERND KARBACHER: I think for me it doesn't matter. Maybe I have a small advantage because I beat Reneberg in the quarters in Indianapolis. So maybe that -- I would like to play him a little bit more because he has maybe more respect or he is a little bit afraid or what, but he is playing very well at the moment, so if he is winning against Todd Martin and Boris Becker, he -- I think both players are very good.